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Buzz Out Loud 1431: iMac on a boat (Podcast)

On today's show, Brian Tong has an exclusive about the next crop of iMacs: they're on a boat! Also, Kent German calls in from CTIA to talk AT&T-T-Mobile fallout on the show floor, plus a sneak peek at Sprint's new phone announcements. We rant about Microsoft's new strategy of demanding licenses for things like status bars on mobile phones, and Apple takes on Amazon in a war for the App Store (the name). Plus, new research leads the way to Cylons that can feel pain. --Molly

Molly Wood Former Executive Editor
Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.
Molly Wood
4 min read

On today's show, Brian Tong has an exclusive about the next crop of iMacs: they're on a boat! Also, Kent German calls in from CTIA to talk AT&T-T-Mobile fallout on the show floor, plus a sneak peek at Sprint's new phone announcements. We rant about Microsoft's new strategy of demanding licenses for things like status bars on mobile phones, and Apple takes on Amazon in a war for the App Store (the name). Plus, new research leads the way to Cylons that can feel pain. --Molly

Watch this: Ep. 1431: iMac on a boat

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EPISODE 1431

NEWS

Verizon Wireless CEO says no interest in Sprint deal
https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/us-verizonwireless-interview-idUSTRE72L0K820110322

Sparks Fly Over AT&T/T-Mobile Deal As Wireless CEOs Trade Jabs
http://moconews.net/article/419-sparks-fly-over-attt-mobile-deal-as-wireless-ceos-trade-jabs/

AT&T: T-Mobile 3G phones will need to be replaced
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110321/ap_on_hi_te/us_at_t_t_mobile_usa_phones

What AT&T Owes T-Mobile if Deal Doesn't Go Through
http://mobilized.allthingsd.com/20110320/what-att-owes-t-mobile-if-deal-doesnt-go-through/

Microsoft Takes Legal Action Against Barnes & Noble, Foxconn and Inventec for Patent Infringement by Android Devices
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/mar11/03-21CorpNewsPR.mspx
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-20045551-75.html

Drunk On Licensing Fees And Patents, Microsoft Has Become A Joke
http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/21/this-title-is-patented-pay-me/

Apple Sues Amazon.com, Seeks Order to Stop Use of 'App Store' Trademark
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-21/apple-sues-amazon-com-over-use-of-app-store-trademark.html?cmpid=yhoo

Now Open: Amazon Appstore Launches With 3,800 Apps for Android
http://emoney.allthingsd.com/20110322/now-open-amazon-appstore-launches-with-3800-apps-for-android/

Court orders Steve Jobs to answer questions in iTunes antitrust case
http://www.bgr.com/2011/03/22/court-orders-steve-jobs-to-answer-questions-in-itunes-antitrust-case/

Best-Selling Author Refuses $500k; Self-Publishes Instead
http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/03/22/0125218/Best-Selling-Author-Refuses-500k-Self-Publishes-Instead

Amazon stymies Lendle e-book lending service
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20045633-93.html

That was quick: Four lines of code is all it takes for The New York Times’ paywall to come tumbling down
http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/03/that-was-quick-four-lines-of-code-is-all-it-takes-for-the-new-york-times-paywall-to-come-tumbling-down-2/

Quick Hits

Google Is No. 1 on List Of Desired Employers
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703512404576208702115862760.html

Intel executive quits as smartphone biz falters
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20045564-64.html

Update: Some MacBook Pros Locking Up Under Load
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382332,00.asp

Gadgets

CTIA STUFF:
Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, ‘world’s thinnest’ tablets
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20045771-10356022.html?tag=mncol;posts

T-Mobile G-Slate to cost $529.99 with contract
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20045716-10356022.html?tag=mncol;posts

AT&T flashes 3D-capable LG Thrill 4G phone
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20045407-17.html

T-Mobile Sidekick 4G gets priced, hands-on treatment
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20045709-10356022.html?tag=mncol;posts

Cherry blossoms mark spot where NTT DoCoMo would be
http://twitpic.com/4c5i07

EXCLUSIVE:

My Sources: New iMacs en route by ocean to U.S. available end of April or 1st week of May. No major cosmetic changes. Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt. bt, I can explain my more credible details

RIM Reveals BlackBerry PlayBook Versions, Pricing (Starts At $499), Retail Partners
http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/22/blackberry-playbook-will-be-available-in-20000-retail-outlets-including-best-buy-and-att/

Science News
Nerve-Electronic Hybrid Could Meld Mind and Machine
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/nerve-cell-chip/

Happy Ending

The Hobbit finally starts shooting!
http://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/03/21/1752219/The-Hobbit-Finally-Starts-Shooting

Last day to bid on iPad 2 auction!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230597585036#ht_500wt_1156

VOICEMAIL

Nate from Vermont – Privacy with video rentals, and where it started

EMAILS

Greetings from down under.

Having heard the news about the impending takeover of T-Mobile USA by AT&T (BOL-1430), my mind started whirring about some of the possible outcomes of the merger (aside from thousands of annoyed T-Mo customers). As you are well aware, T-Mo USA uses the rather exotic AWS band (2100MHz downlink, 1700MHz uplink) for its 3G coverage, while AT&T uses the nearly-as-exotic 1900Mhz band (1900MHZ down, 1800MHz up) for its 3G coverage (as well as the 850MHz band). European carriers – like T-Mo’s cousins across the pond, use a 2100MHz band based on 2100MHz down, 1900MHz up for 3G, while there are plans for using the 1800MHz band for LTE in Europe, Asia and Australia.

My crazy theory: AT&T uses its newly-enlarged spectrum holdings, plus a bit of political muscle to tweak the edges, to propose replacing both the 1900MHz and AWS bands with a European 2100MHz band, while offering up the 1800MHz band as ripe for LTE. AT&T then argues that prices would decrease as a result of being able to offer devices that do not have to be built especially for the US market. Of course, in reality that saving will simply become added profit to AT&T shareholders.

Love. The. Show.

Cheers,
Alex, Melbourne, Australia.

—–

Holy crap guys the Amazon App Store takes the cake

They even let you try the app straight in your browser before you buy it. Here is what it says about that feature

Clicking the "Test drive now" button launches a copy of this app on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), an Amazon Web Service available to developers. When you click on the simulated phone using your mouse, those inputs are sent over the Internet to the app running on an Amazon server--just like a finger tap is sent to the app on your mobile device. From the server, the video and audio output from the app are sent back to your computer. All this happens in real time, creating the effect that you’re running the app locally on your computer.

I know Molly doesn’t like having multiple apps stores and exclusivity and such. And as a developer neither do I, but they did an amazing job!

Love the SHOW!

Jose C Gomez

—–

http://bol.cnet.com, 800-616-2638 (CNET), buzz@cnet.com

Follow us on Twitter: @mollywood @brian_tong